Independence
by Vermiculite
Summary: The Inuzuka clan has always possessed a demon. Actually, it was started because of a demon. But before the demon can escape, it is placed in Inuzuka Kiba, the heir. Is this the end of his life as a shinobi? Slight KibaHina
1. Chapter 1

-1

"Hana!" Tsume Inuzuka charged into Hana's bedroom, a look of desperation marring her features. She flicked the light on, and Hana was nearly blinded by the sudden light.

"What the hell, Mom!?" Hana cried, ducking her head into the covers. "It's 2 A.M.! I just got back from a B-ranked mission; I _am tired._"

"Hana, this is no time for complaining over petty things! _It_ is awakening!" Tsume heavily accented the 'it' part.

Previous fatigue forgotten, Hana sat bolt upright, "_What?!_ Please tell me this is a drill; we haven't even decided who the vessel should be!" She couldn't believe it. Why _now_ of all times?! Who were they going to place it in?! There were no qualified candidates, unless…

Tsume turned to give Hana a serious look. "Hana, it's hard for me to say this, but… If we don't do something, many innocent people could be killed and injured! I can't believe I'm saying this, but… We have to use Kiba."

The two women entered a dark room. Hana was still trying to sort through what she had just heard. _Sure_, oftentimes she couldn't stand her younger brother, and he _was_ stubborn, but… Why did this have to happen _now_?! Why did it have to happen _her_? Was she really that unfortunate?! Was someone purposely trying to ruin her life?!

Hana frowned, cutting off the train of thought. Thoughts like those were what got shinobi killed. They led to self-pity, which was a sin to any ninja.

_Clank! Clank! Clank!_

Tsume reached out and stilled the angrily shaking vase with her hand. She picked it up, feeling its vibrations for a moment to check if her assumptions were correct. Unfortunately, they were. She nodded at Hana, and the two Inuzukas dashed out of the room.

Kiba was enjoying a nice rest after a long mission, laying spread-eagled across his bed. His eyes slowly opened as he heard hastily approaching footsteps. Sitting up in bed, he heard his bedroom door open, and his mother and older sister dashed into the room. "What is it?" He asked, drowsy.

Instead of the 'Surprise midnight training session!' or even the 'The puppies have been born!' response Kiba was expecting, Tsume sighed, rubbing her temples in frustration. This wasn't going to be easy…

As she contemplated what to say, the vase began to shake violently. Kiba gave it a quizzical look. Tsume realized that time was limited, and that stalling was out of the question.

"Kiba, don't ask, just hold out your right arm." She instructed, as calmly as she could muster. Was this really happening…?

"What-"

"Don't ask! Just hold out your right arm!" They were running out of _time…_

Kiba, stunned by his mother's outburst, held out his right arm. What was going on…?!

Tsume set down a bottle of ink and dipped her fingers in it. In a flash, she had written the kanji for 'Oni' and 'Inu' four inches below Kiba's shoulder.

Kiba froze. _'D-demon dog?! What's going on?! They couldn't be… No! My own family wouldn't do that!'_ He watched, paralyzed in shock and fear, as his mother surrounded the two Japanese characters with comma-shaped marks. Then, opening the vase, she pressed the opening of the vase to the new seal.

Kiba screamed. He felt like his entire body was on fire. In all of his thirteen years of life, he had never met such agony. After only a few moments, he passed out from the pain.

Tsume nodded once more at Hana, who picked up Kiba's limp form, and they were soon on their way to the Hokage's office.

Tsunade grinned maniacally. You see, Shizune went home at midnight, so the Godaime could drink sake to her heart's content until 6 AM. Tsunade lifted up a bottle, had a sip, and sighed contentedly. She didn't know _what_ she would do without sake. She lifted the bottle again and-

"Tsunade-sama!" Tsume threw open the door and charged in.

"Tsume!?" Tsunade gasped, spitting out some of the sake. "What the hell is going on!?"

The Inuzuka clan head merely pointed at the seal on Kiba's shoulder. Tsunade's eyes widened, "W-what?! This wasn't supposed to happen for another twenty years!"

Tsume sighed. "Yes, but, I guess we were wrong."

The Hokage sat down, and tried to absorb the information. "No offense, but why Kiba?"

If the situation was not so dark, Tsume would have laughed. "It may seem like everyday bullheadedness, but Kiba has a will of steel. If there's any person in our clan who would be able to resist the demon, it's him. Besides, it's too late to change our minds."

"Okay, let's just give him some painkillers, then explain it to him when he-" Tsunade stopped when she noticed Kiba's eyes start to open.

"W… What's going on? Why am I in so much pain? Was there an ambush?" Then, the previous hour's events flashed through Kiba's mind. He immediately stood up, fully awake. "Mom, what did you do?! Does Demon dog mean what I think it does?!"

Tsume silenced her son with a glare. "Kiba, what I did is for the wellbeing of the village. How can I say this… You see, the Inuzuka clan was started by a demon-possessed man, who had decidedly dog-like traits: Heightened sense of smell, claw-like nails, etc. These were caused by his relationship with the demon. After having several daughters and sons, our ancestors, he was killed by the demon, and the demon wreaked havoc upon the village. The demon is not as strong as any of the tailed demons like the Shukaku and the Kyuubi, and is in fact entirely different from them altogether. But it still puts a great deal of stress upon the container. We could only stop its tirade by sealing it in this vase." She showed Kiba the vase that had once held the demon, "Unfortunately, the seal is nowhere near as strong as the ones used to seal the tailed demons, so we knew that this vase would not hold it forever. We also know that, by now, it has figured out and memorized how to escape inanimate objects. There fore, we had to seal it into… a person, since an animal or plant would not have had the willpower to control the demon."

"I'm that person, aren't I?" Kiba asked weakly after a moment of contemplation.

"…Yes." Tsume replied. It hurt her so much to see her son like this, so serious. Had she _really _just destroyed her own son's life? She felt tears rise to her eyes. She looked at Tsunade, silently telling the Hokage that she would have to do the rest of the explaining.

Tsunade understood. "Kiba… You aren't the only one. Gaara has the Shukaku inside of him, and even Naruto… possesses the Kyuubi inside of him."

Kiba was shocked. Naruto? The Nine-Tailed Fox? It explained a lot of things, but…

The Godaime decided to press on. "Kiba, you have to leave Konohagakure… Forever."

Kiba froze. "_What?!_ But- But- But Naruto and Gaara have demons inside of them, and _they_ get to remain in their villages!"

"_Kiba!"_ Tsunade yelled losing her patience. "Calm down! Their demons may leave more subtle hints and aid them more, but the Inu demon is more likely to take complete control over you! You are doing this for the safety of the village!"

Kiba just stood there. Everything he had worked for. All of his dreams. The friends he had made. They were all for _nothing._ His hand formed into a fist, and his nails dug into his skin. The only word he could muster was "Damn."

He left the office. All of a sudden, he smelled a familiar presence. "Akamaru?" The dog bounded towards him. Realization hit Kiba. He would have to leave everything, including Akamaru. "Akamaru. I… Have to leave."

_"On a mission? I'm going with you, right?"_ Akamaru replied amidst barks and yips.

The tears finally spilled forth. "N-no Akamaru. Y… Y-you aren't coming."

_"When are you coming back?" _Akamaru was disconcerted by his master's tears.

Every word dug into Kiba's heart like invisible claws, threatening to tear it out. He gulped, and the strength returned to his voice, his tears stopped. "Never, Akamaru. I'm never coming back." It was then that Kiba realized that he had one request to ask of Tsunade.

He stepped back into her office, interrupting Tsunade's conversation with Tsume. "Er, Tsunade, can I just ask for one thing?"

"What is it?"

"Can I… Have a day to say goodbye to everyone?"

Tsunade knew she should say no, but hell, the kid was about to lose everything. She would never be able to forgive herself if she denied him one last thing. "Sure, but you can't actually say goodbye. We will have to tell them that you died on a mission."

"…I know. I just want to be able to have one last day with everyone."

Kiba already had everything packed. He would be leaving that night.

Tsunade had convinced Kurenai to give her team the day off, careful not to tell her about the previous nights events.

"K-Kiba-kun, y-you said you wanted t-to meet us here?" Hinata approached Kiba at the team's training grounds, followed by Shino. Kiba nodded.

"I was just thinking, since we have the day off, why don't we have lunch together?" Kiba would have wanted to have breakfast with them, but it would be rude to get them up so early. Instead, he had been up since 5 AM playing with Akamaru.

"O-okay," Hinata replied, surprised. It wasn't like she thought Kiba _disliked _his team, he just seemed more like the "I don't need anyone else" type. Besides, she knew Kiba and Shino had never been the best of friends. But why was he being so… accommodating all of a sudden?

The trio had lunch at Ichiraku, and the hours flew by. They talked about missions, battle tactics, jutsus, and basically about their lives in general. Eventually, after about two hours, Shino excused himself, muttering something about "family business".

Kiba and Hinata continued talking, Kiba savoring every moment of it. _Was this really the last time he was ever going to talk to her?_ The hours flew by and soon it was seven PM.

Hinata was taken aback. Seven hours? She didn't remember ever talking to someone for so long. It just… Flew by. She enjoyed it.

Kiba looked at the clock and a cold fear clutched his heart. He knew he couldn't delay her any longer; it would be rude and inconsiderate. He stood up, "Well Hinata-chan, I have an overnight solo mission to attend to. It was nice talking to you; Ja ne!" He exited the ramen stand, followed by the shy heiress.

That was when it finally sunk in.

_This was the last time he was ever going to speak to Hinata._

Was he _really_ going to leave without telling her…?

Turning around all of a sudden, he pressed his lips to Hinata's. Her eyes widened, taken off guard. But before she could respond, he was gone.

Kiba dashed all the way home. He wished he could have waited for her response, but…

Could he _really_ deal with his last thoughts of Hinata being ones of rejection? He just… Had to let her know.

He opened the door, and grabbed the bag he had packed, when an idea hit him. Quietly making his way through the Inuzuka complex, he opened a door. On the inside, he faced a room filled to the brim with scrolls. Plodding over to one corner in the room, he picked up several scrolls labeled "Inuzuka Jutsus". He exited the room and the Inuzuka complex, and was soon making his way to the road leading out of Konohagakure.

In mere minutes Kiba found himself standing under the gate. He was familiar with it, often journeying out of Konoha to explore the dense mountains and forests. But now it was a foreboding omen, a symbol of his last moment in Konohagakure.

He laughed bitterly. There were a lot of things he still yearned to do. Like fight and beat Uzumaki brat. But apparently, if he fought anyone, it would get "released" or something corny sounding like that. Not to mention, he was going to be a genin forever. Technically, he wasn't going to be a ninja anymore, but that's not the point.

Instinctively, he looked down at the ground a couple feet away from him. No Akamaru. That also hurt to think about, so he did the only thing that made sense: Just don't think about it.

Looking back one last time at Konohagakure, his village, he committed the sight to memory. Then he entered the depths of the forest.

Little did he know, that wasn't the last time he would see Konoha.

**Okay, let me get a few things straight:**

**-I _know_ that only Kage-level ninjas can perform the sealing for Tailed Demons. I also know that there are only nine, so Kiba can't possibly have one. But _the demon in the story is not a tailed-demon._ It is a different kind of demon altogether, and therefore the _seal is a different type altogether._ Sorry, I just don't want any flames like "You idiot! Tsume couldn't seal a demon in Kiba!"**

**-This story doesn't, and will never have, anything to do with Inuyasha. The "Dog Demon" thing is just a coincidence, and to be honest, I strongly hate Inuyasha.**

**-Also, this story is almost like a project of mine. You see, in D&DR and Adopted, I kind of lack in detailing, and focus more on the humor and romance. In this story, I'm going to try really hard to add as much detail as possible. Not to mention, I'm kind of abandoning humor in this story. So if you're looking for a laugh, then this might not be the best story for you. So yes, this is mainly a project to work on my detailing.**

**-Unlike my other stories, I actually have a plot in mind. I know, it's the Apocalypse! I've always wanted to write a Dark!Kiba fic, so this storyline has been brewing in my mind for quite a while.**

**-One last note, this chapter is more of a prologue, so it's pretty short. The other chapters will (hopefully) be much longer. I'm sorry if it was ridiculously cliché. I don't think I will ever be able to forgive myself for putting the phrase "It is awakening" into a story.**

**-I know I already have two stories going, but, I couldn't resist! I've always wanted to do this type of fic, sooo…**

**This fic is so heavily based on music, it's ridiculous. I actually thought of the entirety of the plot while listening to "Hollow" by Submersed and "Animal I Have Become" by Three Days Grace. I guess I'm going to be listening to a lot of hard rock. No more +44, Orange Range, Jimmy Eat World, or Blake Lewis for me.**

**Preview of the Next Chapter:**

_Creak!_

_Hinata spun around at hearing the door open, already in a battle pose, and gasped._

_'Kiba?!'_

_"H… Hinata-chan?" The stranger asked._

_It had to be him. The red triangles, the messy chocolate-colored locks, the canine-like eyes, it was all exactly like Kiba._

_But what if it was a Henge, or some other form of imposter? This could all be some type of trap, but still, what if it wasn't?_


	2. Pathological

_Two Years Later_

Hinata had always known Kiba was alive.

It wasn't just the classic denial that every mourner faced, either. In the back of her mind, she _knew_ he couldn't be dead.

_"Byakugan!"_ She scanned the area, searching for shelter. Rain softly pattered against her hair, face, and jacket. She knew it wouldn't last long; the storm was going to worsen swiftly. Finally her pale eyes fell upon a small cabin. _'What luck!'_ she thought, _'I usually have to sleep in some cave or outcropping.'_

The timid heiress was on a simple C-Ranked transportation mission. All she had to do was retrieve a scroll from Suna, and return it to Konoha. She had already been to Sunagakure and gotten the scroll, but she was prevented from going home by this weather. It was a solo mission, so she was left alone to find shelter. As she dashed towards the cabin, her mind drifted to the memory she had been trying to forget for two years.

_Flashback_

_"-He was a brave shinobi, and he would have gone far if not for this tragedy." Tsunade said, wiping tears from here eyes._

_Hinata could barely see, her tears nearly blinding her. _

_Tsunade continued. "Nevertheless, he died valiantly: Protecting our village from Sound ninjas. I only wish I could have seen how he fought, for I know it would have been amazing." There was some half-hearted clapping as Tsunade exited the stand and set a white rose in front of a coffin. Shino took her place on the stand, and said a few words._

_Hinata zoned out, absorbed in sorrow. _'H-h-he is d-d-dead? He c-can't be! I-it's n-not true!_' She thought. _'Tsunade-sama says the body is too mangled to look at, but…'

_As she contemplated what had happened , others gave their eulogies. Soon it was Hinata's turn. Snapping out of her daze, she made her way to the stage. She froze in fear. She couldn't remember the speech she prepared. Taking a deep breath, Hinata wiped her eyes._

_"H-he w-w-as-," that was as far as Hinata got. The heiress broke down, sobbing. Through the haze of tears, she could make out the pitying expressions of everyone attending the funeral. No one had expected her to say much. It was hard enough for her to talk to others as it was, but coupled with the extreme emotional stress she was under, and the fact she was speaking in front of a crowd; it was too much for her. Hinata felt someone lead her away from the stand. It might have been Shino, but Hinata was too overwhelmed with grief to check._

_Later, after everyone had gone home, and the coffin was laid in the ground, Hinata stood by the tombstone. She had cried so much, there were no tears left to cry. She just stood there silently, staring at the name carved into the stone. _

Inuzuka Kiba, Age 13

_"K-Kiba-kun…" She fell to her knees, still staring wide-eyed at the tombstone. She remembered the last time she saw him, what he did. If only she hadn't hesitated, she could have let him know… One of the things that bothered her the most was how Kiba had acted that day. The entire time, he had this pleading look in his eyes, as if he wanted the moments to last forever. It was almost as if he _knew_ that was the last time they would be together..._

_Overwhelmed by the emotions, and tired beyond belief for some unknown reason, Hinata lay down in front of the grave, and drifted off into a nightmare-ridden sleep._

_End Flashback_

The memory faded as Hinata approached the door to the cabin. After a moment of gathering her wits, Hinata knocked on the door softly. There was no answer. She tried once more, but still there was no reply. After a moment pushed open the door, and was greeted with an… _odd_, sight.

The cabin had a dirt floor, and nearly everything inside of it looked handmade. In the center there lay a fire-pit, still alight and crackling. Furs of various animals were strewn about, and Hinata noticed something that looked somewhat similar to a bed in a corner. Something interesting caught her eye, and she ventured over toward it.

It was a wooden desk with some scrolls, writing supplies, and-

_What?!_

On one corner of the desk, Hinata caught sight of a picture of Team Eight, from about two years ago. There was Kiba holding Akamaru, Hinata petting Akamaru, and Shino… Standing there, as usual.

Hinata's mind was sent reeling. _'Why does this person have this picture?! Maybe this is Shino's summer cabin… No, it can't be, because there is a fire going, and Shino-kun is on a mission. Who-'_

_Creak!_

Hinata spun around at hearing the door open, already in a battle pose, and gasped.

_'Kiba?!'_

"H… Hinata-chan?" The stranger asked.

It _had _to be him. The red triangles, the messy chocolate-colored locks, the canine-like eyes, it was all_ exactly like Kiba._

But what if it was a Henge, or some other form of imposter? This could all be some type of trap, but still, what if it _wasn't?_

"K… K-Kiba-kun, is i-it r-r-really y-you? You… We w-were told y-you were d-dead! If s-s-so, I'll a-ask y-you a question only Kiba could answer." Hinata's mind was racing. What kind of question would only Kiba be able to know? "Er, w-what I-is y-y-your b-birthday?"

"July 7th."

"Umm…" What kind of question would only Kiba know the answer to?! "What was your first mission like?"

'Kiba' contemplated it for a moment. "Annoying. You, Shino, and I got stuck cutting grass with scissors for some psychotic old lady. Now, my turn. What is your favorite food?"

"C-c-cinnamon b-buns," Hinata replied, still shaken by Kiba's reply. It _was_ Kiba. Overcome with joy, she rushed over to him and hugged him, burying her head into his leather jacket. **((You guessed it. I'm not creative enough to come up with different outfits, so they are all wearing their post-timeskip outfits.))**

Tears rushed unbidden to her eyes, and soon she was sobbing. "W… W-why d-didn't you c-come h-h-home? T-Tsunade-sama s-said you w-were d-dead! T-there was a f-funeral and everything! W-why d-d-didn't you c-come home?! Why?!?"

Kiba gripped her shoulders lightly, and looked her in the eyes. "Hinata…I had no choice. It was my duty to Konoha." He went on to explain of what happened on that fateful night two years ago, carefully leaving out what he learned about Naruto and Gaara.

Hinata was taken aback. Demon?! She decided to push the information to the back of her mind to contemplate later. "S-s-so wh-what have y-you been d-d-doing while y-you've been out here?"

"I just trained… And built this place."

"W-why did y-you train?" Hinata was taken aback; didn't Tsunade say that he couldn't come back?

Kiba frowned. "It's not like I had anything better to do. Besides… I held on to the hope that Tsunade would one day need more shinobi, and use me as a last resort. Hinata, it's a terrifying and maddening thought, knowing that you no longer have a purpose in life. No reason to live." He gave Hinata a cold, calculating look.

Hinata felt shivers rack her spine. That _was_ a horrifying thought. _'If I was in Kiba-kun's place,' _Hinata thought fearfully. _'I probably would not have lasted long.'_ She could feel her usual self-resentment crawl through her mind.

"I'm s-so sorry." Was all that she could muster.

"Don't be. It's no one's fault, especially not yours." Hinata saw right through his lie. He was hiding resentment. Just not toward her. He pressed on, "So how are things in Konoha?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "N-Naruto-kun is s-still training w-w-with Jiraiya-sama. Sh-shino-kun is on the v-verge of b-becoming a J-J-Jounin. I-it's almost d-dead c-certain that he w-w-will pass on t-the n-next exams. E-everyone else is a Ch-Chuunin, s-save for N-neji-niisan, who is a J-jounin, and Sh-Shikamaru is Ts-Tsunade-sama's t-top choice f-for th-the next H-hokage." **((Sorry all of you fans of the next Hokage being Naruto. I simply believe that Shikamaru is a **_**much**_** better candidate for the position. ****J**

"…And you?"

Hinata felt her characteristic blush spread across her face. "U-uh, I-I'm j-j-just a Ch-Chuunin."

Kiba realized it was a sensitive subject for the withdrawn heiress. "How's Akamaru doing?"

The pale-eyed girl froze. She was hoping he wouldn't ask that. "…H-he… D-died on a-a m-mission…" She tried to look away, afraid of Kiba's reaction.

He froze, and for the first time, Hinata saw genuine pain and fear run across Kiba's face, but after a moment, he suppressed it. He looked away. "Hinata, you have a mission to return to. I wouldn't want you to get in trouble with Tsunade. Please come back soon, but probably not within the next week."

Surprise ran across the kunoichi's face, then realization kicked in. _'Oh… __**that.**__' _"I'll s-s-see y-you soon, K-Kiba-kun!" She gave him a brief hug, then exited the cabin.

_'Should I have done a bit… More? No, it would have been too sudden. I just wish it would have lasted longer, though! We haven't seen each other for two years, and we could only manage a seven minute conversation! I'm just grateful that he's alive… Tsunade and Tsume did this? I wonder if there is any way I can persuade them to let him return…' _She looked over her shoulder at the miniscule cabin, and, out of curiosity, activated her Byakugan.

She was taken off guard. She knew that Kiba had gotten stronger, but not _that _much. But was it Kiba's own chakra, or the demon's? She deactivated the kekkai genkai, and continued into the forest. She looked up at the sky. Miraculously, the storm had already passed, and she could see it heading south, in the direction of Suna, the way she came. **((I have no idea if that is cartographically accurate, but bear with me. (: ))**

Before she knew it, two hours had passed, and she stood in front of the ominous gates to Konoha, a familiar sight. _'They are probably Kiba-kun's last memory of Konoha…'_ She slowly entered the village, nodding at the four Chuunin on guard duty. She paused. _'Four Chuunin? That's double of what we usually have on guard. What's going on?' _She shook her head, _'It's probably a one-time thing, no need to worry.'_

She made her way to the Hokage office, still pondering what had happened. _'Who should I tell? Definitely not Tsunade-sama or anyone else who orchestrated the event, they would probably try to prevent me from seeing Kiba-kun. I should definitely tell Shino-kun. I'm not sure about anyone else…'_

The weary sapphire-haired girl knocked on the Godaime's door. A "Come in!" resounded from the other side of the door. Hinata stepped inside, just in time to see the village's leader tuck a sake bottle into one of the drawers in her desk. Hinata couldn't help but feel bitterness and resentment towards the blonde woman. _She_ was the one who had made the decision to condemn Kiba to a supposed life of isolation.

"Report." Tsunade said, placing her elbows on the desk and threading her fingers together, a look of a dedicated leader plastered on her features.

Hinata inhaled. "S-success, there w-w-were no casualties, and n-nothing of interest t-t-to recount." She was thankful that her miniscule amount of lying skills had for once chosen to aid her. "M-may I ask, w-w-why are th-there s-so mm-m-many messenger m-missions lately?"

"You may not. It is nothing of importance, just a few small skirmishes within the militia." Tsunade replied. Hinata doubted the elder woman's words, lies threaded their way through every syllable. She was going to ask about the growing number of guards at the gates, but Tsunade beat her to point. "You may go," the alcoholic mistress stated.

Hinata bowed, and left the room. She fumed, why was Tsunade being so secretive?! Hinata realized that, maybe Tsunade had grown accustomed to masking things from the shinobi. She had gone as far as to 'kill' Kiba, why shouldn't she be able to hide a rising rebellion, a terrorist group, even a war, whatever she was holding back from her warriors? Hinata knew Tsunade only had Konoha's best interests at heart, but that did not stop the feeling of uneasiness that Hinata felt in every move she made, shadowing her every emotion.

She found herself in front of the vast Aburame complex, on the edge of the forest that contained the training grounds. The bug-users preferred to be away from the rest of the complexes, and required easy access to forest, so they could train with their kikaichu. **((Did I spell that correctly? I don't have internet right now to check, sorry.))**

Hinata knocked on the door of the outer wall. After a few moments, Hinata found herself face-to-face with Aburame Shibi, the clan's patriarch, and Shino's father. Hinata felt her usual uneasiness around the Jounin resurface. It wasn't that she was scared of him, he just seemed to exude an intimidating aura. Not to mention, his demeanor of expectance reminded Hinata eerily of her father. It must be a shared trait among male clan leaders.

"I-is S-Shino h-h-home?" Hinata inquired, eyes trained on the dirt, noticing a battalion of ants trek across the sun-warmed soil. She made a note as to not to step on one of them, for fear of upsetting Shibi. She looked up to see Shibi nod, then point inside the complex at a spot in the courtyard.

Hinata stepped in the courtyard to find Shino sparring with a clone of himself. _'Only Shino has enough grit to fight a copy of himself…'_ Hinata thought with amusement. She waited for the withdrawn Aburame to stab the doppelganger, and the clone disintegrated into thousands of insects. They flew up Shino's sleeve, and he turned to face the Hyuuga heiress. "Good afternoon, Hinata-san."

Hinata didn't mind the generic honorific he addressed her with. She knew that Shino cared for her, just in a different way than most. "G-good afternoon, Shino-kun." She gave him a warm smile. "C-can I… Talk t-to you… P-Privately? Just f-for a m-m-moment?" Shino nodded, and indicated a small building.

In reality, it was Shino's private 'house'. The Aburame population had been decreasing in the last couple of decades, and there were many houses left empty in the complex. Naturally, with the characteristic Aburame need for personal space, Shino took advantage of this event and moved out into this building when he turned twelve.

They both sat down in the living room, devoid of any objects save for a couch, an armchair, and a diagram of a kikaichu. Hinata sat down stiffly on the couch, sitting erect and on the front portion of the cushion, a perfect position for if she ever decided to take up an instrument. But lo and behold, the girl was destined, bound and chained to the life of a kunoichi, and her father would never allow her to bother with 'such trivial matters and pastimes'.

Knowing that Shino was not keen to rambling, Hinata got straight to the point.

"K-Kiba-kun is alive."

"Hinata-san, it has been two years, you should-"

"N-no, S-shino! He _**is!**_**" **Hinata interrupted in an uncharacteristic outburst. She had leapt out of the chair, and she held her hands together in a pleading gesture. She even accidentally left out '-Kun' in her excitement. Shino just sat there, looking as shocked as anyone wearing his attire could.

Finally, he recovered enough to say, "How do you know?"

"I s-saw him t-today, on the w-way back f-from my m-m-mission! T-two ye-years ago, T-Tsunade-sama and Tsume-sama p-placed the I-Inuzuka c-clan demon I-inside of K-Kiba-kun, a-and b-banished him from K-Konohagakure b-because th-they thought t-the d-demon might t-take over h-him, and h-harm the v-villagers. E-ever since then, h-he has been l-living in isolation in t-the f-f-forests b-between h-here and S-Suna."

Shino sat there for a moment, absorbing the information. "…That explains why they wouldn't let us see the body. There wasn't one." Shino concluded.

"H-how c-c-can we c-convince Tsunade-sama t-to l-let him come b-back?" Hinata proposed after a moment of awkward silence.

"…I'm not sure. Hinata, go home and get some rest. You've had a long day, and you should have some time to think things over." Shino replied, standing up.

Hinata followed suit, "…O-okay, y-you're right." She exited the house, and entered the Aburame courtyard. She glanced up at the sky to find the sun setting, it's bright cloak of warm colors being veiled by the forests.

She slowly made her way home, if you could call it a home, fatigued by her long day of traveling. She silently slipped into Hyuuga compound, unnoticed. She showered, slipped into her nightclothes, brushed her teeth, then crawled into the relaxing form of her bed. Within moments, she had surrendered to rest's call, and was caught in the peaceful and serene embrace of sleep…

**Author's Notes: Feel free to slap me with any hard object you want. I seem to be developing a habit of three-month-long updates. D:**

**-I really just had my iPod on Shuffle during this, but if you feel in the mood for crying/beingextremelydepressed, listen to the Michael Andrews version of "Mad World". I also got the Within Temptation CD. In a word, it's amazing. In my opinion, they're much better than Evanescence. But that's just my opinion. (:**

**-Anybody noticed that there are a lot more useless details and less dialogue in this chapter? I did. It nearly gave me a carpal tunnel/aneurysm, too. I'm also reading Wicked (Yay for thirteen-year-olds reading R-rated literature! WHOOT! 8D) I actually saw it last week. (: It was completely different from the book.**

**-Last day of school is Thursday, May 24. Goodbye forever, 7th Grade!**

**- My internet was out for a week, and then my computer was sent to the shop for two weeks. D: It was torture. Yeah, so that's why this was SO LATE.**


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